August 12 offers best skywatching of the year

The best skywatching night and day of the year are both happening on August 12, when the Perseid meteor shower peaks and the sun reaches its most northerly point, creating the longest daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere.

The Perseids are an annual event caused by Earth passing through debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 133 years. The comet’s icy nucleus leaves a trail of dust and small rocks, and when these particles hit Earth’s atmosphere at 37 miles per second, they burn up and create bright streaks in the sky. The shower gets its name from the constellation Perseus, from which the meteors appear to radiate. August 12 is the peak because Earth is moving through the densest part of the debris trail, producing up to 100 visible meteors per hour under ideal conditions.

Clear skies are the main factor for viewing. The Perseids are best seen after midnight, when the radiant point in Perseus rises higher in the sky. This year, the moon will be a thin crescent, setting early and leaving dark skies ideal for meteor watching. The summer solstice, which occurred on June 20, set the stage for long daylight hours, but August 12 offers a rare chance to experience both the peak of a major meteor shower and the sun’s most northerly position.

For those who can’t watch the Perseids, the sun’s position on August 12 marks the midpoint between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox. After this date, daylight begins to shorten noticeably in the Northern Hemisphere. The Perseids will continue to be visible at lower rates through August 24, but the peak on the 12th is the best chance to see the most meteors with the least interference from moonlight. Whether you’re an early riser or a night owl, August 12 offers a double skywatching treat—one during the day, one at night.